The Walking Dead

The World We Live In [RE]

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Prologue

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Lee Everett swiped down on his cell phone and sighed loudly in aggravation. For the past ten minutes Lee had been trying to get updates on the news. Unfortunately, there was no luck to be found in his endeavors.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You know we never get a good signal in the back roads. Just..," Lee's brother, Bud Everett, trails off for a second as he licks his lips, "just wait until we get closer to the city."

Lee looked to his brother who was in the driver's seat of the vehicle. Bud, born second to Lee, was a near perfect replica of Lee. However, Bud took more of his mother's features than Lee did. Where Lee was able to keep a straight face much like his father, Bud's face would be compromised by his dimples and laugh lines. Lee could easily stare down someone and intimidate them with minimal effort if he really wanted to, however, because of Bud's soft eyes and smooth complexion no one would be slightly moved.

When Lee really thought about it, he noticed he had gained more from his father than he had his mother. Lee's father raised his boys to be tough, head-strong men whereas his mother's soft hearted nature taught them to be compassionate, open men. Of course, Lee wasn't without compassion, but he knew to not let anyone screw with him. That's why he always felt he had to be at Bud's side, to protect his baby brother. Bud would let people walk all over him, and he always put himself out on a limb to help whoever he could. He told Lee it was the right thing to do, Lee said that it was bullshit. To be treated in such a way for doing good to people was something Lee couldn't begin to fathom. Even now, customers at the Everett family pharmacy could chew out Bud for a minor error on his part and the man would take it with a smile on his face. Bud told him that those people might've been having a bad day and that he should just let things like that slide, Lee said that people should keep to themselves if they couldn't be civil.

Now, however, none of these characteristics showed. The only thing that was blatantly apparent to Lee was this: his little brother was afraid. From the way he paused in his last sentence, or the way he kept scratching his chin, even the way he tightly gripped the steering wheel - all these little cues were enough to show Lee that his brother was scared. Or, more appropriately, deeply concerned and anxious. Bud was concerned for their parents and anxious of the state the brothers would find them in, he had no idea where they were in all of the chaos that had just broken out.

Within the past two days the news of a horrible biological outbreak had been broadcasted nonstop. The people on the news described it as the dead walking again. Seemingly overnight the entirety of the United States was overwhelmed with the dead. From the news reports, Lee gathered that the recently deceased would come back within hours of death. The dead, or walkers, as the news channels deemed them, were incredibly dangerous.

Finding out this news while they were on their yearly camping trip almost seemed like a sick joke to the brothers, but they soon found out that it was no joke. Phone calls from friends, family members, and most important, their parents, was more than enough convincing that this was no joke.

Within ten minutes, the brothers had packed up their belongings and sped off into their hometown of Macon to find their parents. The plan was to check the pharmacy first as it was closest, then their old home. Lee had constantly been checking the news for the past two hours they'd been driving to see if there were any updates on the outbreak. Yet for the past hour he had been getting a strained connection until finally there was nothing. It could've been due to the area they were driving through that was notorious for having horrible reception, Lee doubted that though, his service provider had great connectivity despite the area. But to keep Bud's spirits up he opted to go with that explanation.

"Yeah, I guess you're probably right about that," Lee says locking his phone and placing it in the cup holder. He crosses his arms and slides down in the seat slightly before putting a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder, "It's going to be fine, man, and no matter what happens," Lee squeezed Bud's shoulder tightly, "I'm still right here with you."

Bud chuckles nervously, "What're you talking about, Lee? I'm all good, it's you that I should be worried about, you old dog." Sensing Lee's gaze, Bud sighs, "Alright, I know I'm not fine, but it's not like I'm scared. I'm just worried about them. That's all."

"I mean, Mom still hasn't called back since we started driving... she's just so punctual about that kind of stuff that it's hard to believe that she'd just not return our calls, especially now," Bud says, his voice became softer with each word and he softly bit his lip.

Lee crosses his arms as he formulated his reply, Bud beats him too it, though, "I just wish I was strong like you sometimes. You've always been so tough, even when your-" Bud stops himself, "I- sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up." Bud's chocolate brown eyes flicker back to Lee's and the road.

Lee frowns, "Even when my wife died?"

Lee's wife, Anna, died when their home burned down eight years ago. At the time of the incident she was pregnant with their first child, only weeks before the accident they found out that it would be a girl. Lee never talked about it after the funeral because he knew that if and when he did, he would break down completely. He never liked showing people that side of himself because he would rather be the person to rely on rather than being the person who had to rely on everyone else for stability. Of course he wasn't someone who believed that showing emotion was weak at all, he just couldn't bring himself to discuss that with anyone. Because of this, Lee knew that it was why his brother became so flustered mentioning it. Lee sighed.

"It's not like I'm not worried too, you know. I-" Lee starts, "You just want to be strong for me?" Bud finishes for him, "I know. It just seems like recently you've gotten a bit more distant. I wish you could find something, anything... I don't even know for what exactly. I just want to see you happy again."

Lee was taken aback for a moment then smiles softly, "I- uh, yeah. Thanks. I really appreciate that, Bud."

"Ah, well, you know me. The good ol' picker upper," the younger of the Everetts said with a smirk grow on his face.

Lee rolls his eyes, "Is that what they're calling you now?"

"Um, excuse me, but that's what they've always called me," Bud says and then clears his throat, "You know, aside from charming, dashing, handsome. And, of course, I'm just naming a few things here."

"Oh no, you're absolute right! I've heard those names before," Lee remarks snapping his fingers, "Except, they were always directed to me. I can't recall anytime you've been called those names."

Bud frowns, "That stings, Lee, that stings. But, you know, all those names you were called... Yeah, it doesn't really count if Mom was the only one calling you that."

Lee scoffs and crosses his arms, "Oh, ha ha... prick."

The cabin fell silent before the Everett boys erupted in a fit of laughter. It was as if the tension had been evaporated by their child-like jabs at each other. They were always able to pick each other up no matter what happened. Lee hoped things would never change, because it was like Bud said, the little brother truly was Lee's picker upper.